ISU offers educational, historical ghost stories

The Iowa State and Ames communities are invited to gather on campus tonight to share their scariest stories about campus hauntings.

The Iowa State and Ames communities are invited to gather on campus tonight to share their scariest stories about campus hauntings.

The Ghost Stories of Iowa State will give attendees the opportunity to learn more about historical ISU hauntings, and share their own stories.

David Faux, interpretation specialist at University Museums, said the event is meant to be an educational look at the ghost stories throughout the university’s history, as well as a time to learn more about recent sightings.

“There were a lot of historical stories that we wanted to bring out,” Faux said. “We’d love to have people in the audience relay their spooky moments on campus; those odd sounds or sights that have been a part of their time here.”

The event will replace Haunted Iowa State, the campus Halloween tour that has been held for the last seven years. While Faux said the storytelling will be in the same vein as the tour, it will focus more on the stories than the scaring.

“We were kind of missing some of the educational opportunities. It lost its focus,” Faux said. “A lot of those were lost in the spook factor.”

Faux said the decision to make the event a lecture instead of a tour was also affected by the renovation that is beginning at the Farm House Museum. The museum will have work done for the exhibit’s upcoming 40 anniversary. While the previous tour brought an estimated 700 attendees to sites like the Farm House, Faux said this year’s event can only hold about 100 in the Morrill Hall lecture hall.

But Faux said the smaller space could make it easier for audience members to sit and share their own ghost stories.

“Everybody’s imagination and excitement for the season really comes to the forefront, so it’s really neat that we’re able to do something this year even though Haunted Iowa State is on an indefinite pause.”

The event will include stories from old buildings like the Farm House and historical times on campus, like the early 1900s flu epidemic.

One of the most popular stories involves a set of curtains waving in the second-story Farm House window, despite the door being locked and the building being closed. While the waving was determined to be from air circulation in the room, Faux said the building’s old curator decided to stick with the ghost story, and say it was the youngest Curtiss daughter waiting for her father to leave so she could sneak out.

But Faux said some of the best stories he has heard have come from Iowa State faculty, staff and alumni, and he hopes he will hear more this year.

“There are several that swear they’ve seen ghosts in some of the buildings. One in particular said the ghosts in Morrill Hall were angry when we did the renovation. She said she couldn’t walk by Morrill Hall during that time, because the ghosts were so violently vocal,” Faux said. “So you’re going to be able to hear more of those stories.”

Ghost Stories of Iowa State

Where: 2019 Morrill Hall

When: 7 tonight

Cost: Free

Hear one of Faux’s favorite Iowa State ghost stories online at amestrib.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.